West A's Brytus gives a boot

Saturday

Sep 20, 2008 at 12:01 AM

By Chris Harlan, Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH — Dave Brytus couldn’t have picked a better time to boot his best punt.

Brytus kicked a 57-yard punt that bounced out of bounds inside the 1-yard line during the final minutes of Saturday’s 21-20 victory over Iowa. With Pitt clinging to a one-point lead, Brytus’ kick meant Iowa would have to move at least 60 yards before getting a chance to kick a would-be game-winning field goal.

Pinned deep with only 2:19 left, Iowa failed.

“That’s was a big-time kick and a big-time play,” Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop said. “I hope he gets enough credit for that punt, how crucial that was. I’m proud of him. That pinned them back and with them only needing a field goal, that was a big play.”

Iowa moved 15 yards in four plays before fumbling.

“It’s a great feeling to put the ball at the one,” said Brytus, a West Allegheny graduate, “but that’s my job.

It was the eighth punt for Brytus, who had kicked a 60-yarder a few minutes earlier. That kick bounced into the end zone instead of toward the sideline. As soon as that last one landed, though, Brytus knew it was heading toward the corner.

“I knew right when it hit the ground that it was going to roll out,” said Brytus, who averaged 47.8 yards on his kicks. “I didn’t know it was going to be at the one-yard line. I thought it was going to be the 10 or the nine but obviously I’ll take the one.”

Brytus began his college career in Purdue, so he’d seen Iowa before. Now in is his second season with Pitt, Brytus ranked his last punt Saturday as one of his best.

“That was up there,” Brytus said. “One of the top ones.”

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